Laekik f



Vlmend Peb. 5,1884,

(No Model.)

. L. P. JOHNSTON `HOUSE CLEANING IMPLBMBNT.

` a rear view.

.nlUNiTnfn STATES PATENT Ormea l l LARKIN F.Y JoHNsroN, or

.srniNcDnLn ARTKANsAs ISPEGIIEICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 293,024, dated February 5, 1884.

Application filed August El, 1883. (No model.)

To (all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, LARKIN F. JoniNsroN, a citizen of the United States `of America, residing at Springdale, in the county of Tashington and State of Arkansas, have invented eertai n new anduseful Improvements in House- Cleaning Implements; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, `and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specilication.

This invention is a new and useful improvement in mop and brush holders, andhasrelation to means for Washing and scouring floors, walls, and ceilings, and cleaning carpets and other articles; andit consists in the novel construction and arrangement of a pair of oblique grasping-jaws pivoted together, which are designed to grasp and holdbetween their extremities the mop or brush for sweeping, and as readily release and drop said articles, the handles of said `jaws being provided with a ratchet and connection, wherebythey are held together or unclosed, as will be hereinafter shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure `1 is a side 4viewof myimproved cleaning and scrubbing device. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line a' x of Fig. 3, and Fig 3 is y In the aforesaid accompanying drawings, the letter Adesignates the curved -main arm of the tongs, which extendsobliquely from its tang or coupling end a to its jaw b. This arm'is designed to be connected to abroomhandle, or to a handle, B, having attached to it a ratchetlbar, d.

C indicates the movable arm of the implement, also curved and pivoted to the main arm at c. This arm is provided at its handle end with'aconnection, e, which has a spring or elastic portion, f, whereby it is adapted to grasp articles of varying thicknesses,which the teeth of the ratchet, to which the other end e of the connection is attached, will not otherwise accommodate. This connection may be made of wire of suitable size. One

`end of thehandle is provided with a socket or attachment, 71 for the tang of the main arm, and if short its other end may be arranged for coupling with another handle section. The arms being oblique, the article. which is placed between them, whether it be a mop,

cloth, sponge, or sweeping-brush, F, is held in an oblique position suitable to working overhead and on walls'and floors. The easting attached tothe brush F is provided with alongitudinal rib, Z, on its back, provided with horizontal iiangesmI of proper shape,

thesaid rib Z being adapted to be grasped by` `the jaws of the arms. The rubber r serves to mass or collect water and suds in mopping 4or sponging floors.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the tongs can be readily manipulated through the agency of the ratchet and yielding connection to grasp the rib of I am aware that prior to myinvention mopholders have been provided withpivoted arms or jawswhich were provided with means for retaining the arms or jaws rigidly closed upon the mop, and I do not claim such as my invention. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A pair of tongs arranged obliquely to the handle, and adapted to grasp and .retain between them a brush, mop, or other article for cleaning purposes, one of said tongs being connectedto the handle, and the other being movable and pivoted to the iiXed tong, and a spring-connection secured to the end of said pivoted tong, and adapted to engage a ratchet Von the handle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The improved brush and mop holder, consisting of the arms A. C, pivoted to each other, and provided with jaws, as shown, one of the arms being secured to a handle, and the other foo having a perforated end and 2L spring connect- In testimony whereof I affix my siguztuie i-n 1o ing means adjustably secured to the handle, presence of two Witnesses. the parts being combined and organized substantially as shown, and for the purpose set l LARKIN F. JOHNSTON. forth.

3. In a house-o1eaning. implement, a brush '\Vitnesses: having a longitudinal flanged rib on its rear GIBSON DoDsoN, side, and a rubber, 1, at or near its edge, sub- E. S. I-IoRToN.

stantally as set forth. 

